Clipmarks | BobbyDelray's 'dementia' clips

Who should MDs let die in a pandemic? Report offers answers

Mon, 05 May 2008 16:02:38 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray
clipper's remarks: Tip, don't get old or sick.

They include the very elderly, seriously hurt trauma victims, severely burned patients and those with severe dementia.

Clip Source: hosted.ap.org

Doctors know some patients needing lifesaving care won't get it in a flu pandemic or other disaster. The gut-wrenching dilemma will be deciding who to let die.

Now, an influential group of physicians has drafted a grimly specific list of recommendations for which patients wouldn't be treated. They include the very elderly, seriously hurt trauma victims, severely burned patients and those with severe dementia

The proposed guidelines are designed to be a blueprint for hospitals "so that everybody will be thinking in the same way" when pandemic flu or another widespread health care disaster hits, said Dr. Asha Devereaux. She is a critical care specialist in San Diego and lead writer of the task force report.

But the recommendations get much more specific, and include

Those with severe mental impairment, which could include advanced Alzheimer's disease.

People older than 85

CHEST: http://www.chestjournal.org

U.S. Govt.: http://www.pandemicflu.gov

PET scan can aid dementia diagnosis

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 04:22:44 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray

Clip Source: www.hometownannapolis.com

DEAR MARY: At one of your seminars you mentioned a test for Alzheimer's disease that can be done when all other tests have been exhausted. I am in need of that information for my mother. She lives in Charles County and is being released from a nursing and rehabilitation facility very soon. It is obvious she has dementia and I need to know how to have her evaluated. What tests should I request for her?

DEAR READER: The test I mentioned was the PET scan. It is the most precise diagnostic tool available, but still not 100 percent accurate.

Your mother should be evaluated by a neurologist skilled in diagnosing dementia

She needs a thorough neurological work-up that includes personal and family history, cognitive testing, a CAT scan of the brain and blood work to rule out any medical cause of her symptoms.

Big belly in middle age triples risk of dementia

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 04:28:50 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray

Clip Source: iamanalzheimerscaregiver.blogspot.com

My mother has visceral fat. At her age it could be life threatening. There is no doubt this is a contributing factor to her Alzheimer's

Having a large belly in middle age nearly triples the risk of developing dementia

Researchers measured the abdominal fat of 6,583 people age 40 to 45 in northern California and some 36 years later 16 percent had developed dementia

Those who were overweight or obese but did not have a pot belly had an 80 percent increase in the risk of dementia compared to people with a normal body weight and abdominal fat level

The risk increase jumped to 230 percent among overweight people with a large belly and 360 percent among the obese with large abdomens.

"Where one carries the weight -- especially in midlife -- appears to be an important predictor for dementia risk," Whitmer said.

"These findings imply that the dangerous effects of abdominal obesity on the brain may start long before the signs of dementia appear."

Tags: belly, fat, alzheimer's

I missed the early signs of Dementia (Alzheimer's) in my mother, will You?

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 19:19:14 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray

Clip Source: iamanalzheimerscaregiver.blogspot.com

Looking back, there is little doubt in my mind I should have realized my mother was suffering from dementia sooner. Sadly, I didn't have the proper education, information, or frame of reference.

Most people tend to ignore the early symptoms of the disease believing they are simply signs of "old age"

Anyone who ends up in my shoes knows and understands that a person in the early stages of Alzheimer’s can function normally

even drive a car

Behavior changes slowly in the elderly

as they begin to suffer cognitive impairment these changes are hard to detect

If my mother had been enrolled in any of the studies listed below, I feel certain she would have been diagnosed sooner. This would have allowed me to get her in an exercise program, get her proper nutrition, and insured that she was taking her medication as prescribed

I learned in the last four years how important these factors are in the quality of her life

The woman in the picture is my 91 year old mother

She suffers from Alzheimer’s disease

Tags: alzheimer's, dementia, early signs

Why Sudoku Can Be Good For You

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 16:59:27 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray

Clip Source: www.chiefengineer.org

When Kimberly McClain noticed herself struggling to remember simple details, even what her family had for dinner the night before, she got worried.

She worried because of a family history of dementia and a fellow church member's recent diagnosis, at 54, of early onset Alzheimer's disease.

Mostly, she worried because she was only 43.

"Just my short-term memory - I was really noticing a shift in it, and it was very annoying," says McClain, now 45, a marriage and family therapist from Los Angeles.

Tags: sudoku, alzheimer's, dementia, puzzles, memory, brain

The Validation Breakthrough: Simple Techniques for Communicating with People with Alzheimer's Type D

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 01:12:25 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray
clipper's remarks: Here ya go Sahara.

Thank you for your very nice comments.

Clip Source: alzheimersreadingroom.blogspot.com

You might get the impression from the title that this book is only for professionals; this is not the case. The validation theory works and it is simple to apply. The case studies are invaluable and provide you with specific situations that you are sure to encounter. I am convinced everyone involved with elderly parents suffering from dementia or Alzheimer's will benefit greatly from this book.

If you live with or care for someone with Alzheimer's or other age related dementia, you must read this book ! What an eye-opener! For the first time I finally understood why Alzheimer's patient say what they say and do what they do.

Gives practical ideas and techniques for helping people with dementia deal with issues from paranoia and blaming to sadness and helplessness.

"It works," she told me. "Validation Breakthrough" shows a new way of relating to people with dementia of Alzheimer's type.

I give The Validation Breakthrough five stars

You will certainly reduce stress by learning these technique

Tags: alzheimer's, dementia, frustration, communication

Reversing Symptoms of Alzheimer's?

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 17:06:48 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray
clipper's remarks: Might be a breakthrough. We can only hope.

Clip Source: www.foxnews.com

A patient with Alzheimer's disease had their condition improve hugely just minutes after receiving a special injection of a prescription drug approved to treat psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis and other conditions, according to a new study.

The drug, co-marketed in the U.S. by Amgen and Wyeth under the name Enbrel, dramatically reversed symptoms of an Alzheimer’s disease sufferer minutes after it was injected into the patient's spine, researchers in the U.S. discovered. The drug, sold in Australia as Etanercept, has also been used off-label for treating Alzheimer's.

an “exciting” breakthrough, which provided a greater understanding of the disease. “It is unprecedented that we can see cognitive and behavioral improvement in a patient with established dementia within minutes of therapeutic intervention,” Griffin said.

this report details rapid cognitive improvement, beginning within minutes, using this same… treatment modality, in a patient with late-onset Alzheimer's disease.”

Tags: alzheimer's. treatment, enbrel, cognitive improvement

Drug Creates New Connections In Brain Restores & Improves Memory

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 02:51:49 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray

Clip Source: www.medicalnewstoday.com

Scientists at the Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute (BRNI) have discovered that a cancer drug Bryostatin enhances the formation of new connections in rat brains during memory storage. This drug could potentially increase normal memory capacity in humans as well as repair and restore memory lost from Alzheimer's disease, stroke and head trauma.

"Diseases like Alzheimer's actually destroy synapses in the human brain. There is still no recognized cure," said Dr. Alkon. "In our animal studies with Bryostatin, damaged brains repaired synaptic connections of cells that were ruined from disease, giving the brain more capacity for memory. If this result is applicable to humans, this could be life-changing for Alzheimer's patients."

BRNI is preparing now for the first clinical trials of Bryostatin for the treatment of neurological disorders. Clinical trials will test whether Bryostatin's promising preclinical results generalize to humans.

http://www.hsc.wvu.edu

Tags: bryostatin, blanchette rockefeller neurosciences, alzheiemr's, dementia, brain

Dementia often first noticed at holidays

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 04:35:16 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray

Clip Source: alzheimersreadingroom.blogspot.com

It was at large gatherings that the Holladay family first noticed their mother was suffering from dementia. She couldn't find the bathroom in a family member's home.

She sat at the edges of a party, too confused to interact with the family.

A diagnosis of Alzheimer's followed for the now 75-year-old woman.

The signs of early dementia may be disguised during the year, when sufferers can rely on habit. But mess with the routine - as the holidays do - and the signals become obvious, Foster said.

Other real-life examples of dementia surfacing around the holidays: A patient who forgot to buy presents for all of her grandchildren.

Another who bought every grandchild, boys and girls, the same gift. A father who flew to meet his son for Christmas and didn't recognize him at the airport.

Stick with the familiar. Maintain routines and skip strange and noisy restaurants.
* Keep it small. Large family get togethers "become too disruptive," Genebach said.

Tags: alzheimer's, dementia, early signs, holidays

Researchers deem Alzheimer's a Type 3 diabetes

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 00:57:21 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray
clipper's remarks: My grandmother was diabetic, my sister is diabetic and my mother suffers from Alzheimer's.

Clip Source: www.chicagotribune.com

Sometimes it's better if great minds don't think alike. Neurobiologists with decidedly different interests recently collaborated at Northwestern University and came up with new evidence about Alzheimer's disease, a form of dementia that affects about 5 million Americans. They now consider it a Type 3 diabetes.

This team studied healthy nerve cells from the brain's hippocampus region, growing in culture dishes, and they observed abundant insulin receptors. "If you look closely at a high-resolution [image], you'll see that they are at synapses," Klein said. "Before we added the ADDLs [toxins], they all had insulin receptors." But with the toxin added to the culture dishes, "the insulin receptors disappeared from their surfaces."

"[Klein's work] is like finding the missing piece of a jigsaw puzzle,"

"[Researchers] are looking at drugs that are given to Type 2 diabetics that increase the ability of cells to respond to insulin. It makes the insulin receptors more abundant or more lively."

Tags: alzheimer's, diabetes, dementia, type 3

Using Exercise To Fight Off Alzheimer's

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 01:18:24 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray

Clip Source: iamanalzheimerscaregiver.blogspot.com

As many of you know, I am a big believer in the importance of exercise. This is a good article.

That's my 91 year old mother at Gold's Gym.

Do You, Or Someone You Know, Work At Deloitte? UK

Fri, 23 Nov 2007 22:19:22 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray
clipper's remarks: Spread the word. Likely a serious donation that would make a difference.

Clip Source: www.medicalnewstoday.com

Alzheimer's is on the shortlist to be one of Deloitte's chosen charities for 2008 and 2009, and Deloitte staff across the country are voting for their favourite charities from the list. If we win, Deloitte pledge to raise £500,000 to support Alzheimer's and dementia work in the UK.

So if you, or someone you know, works at Deloitte, please join our campaign to secure as many votes as possible. If you're on the Deloitte Facebook network, start an Alzheimer's group. Speak to family, friends, colleagues, penpals, people sitting next to you on the bus, the lad handing out the free paper in the morning - it all helps!

Voting opens on Wednesday 21 November and closes on Wednesday 5 December - so join our fight against dementia now!

Tags: deloitte, alzheimer's, charity

Patients Can't Recall Their Medications To Tell Doctors

Sat, 13 Oct 2007 17:14:53 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray
clipper's remarks: I can tell you from experience, not only couldn't my mother name the drugs she was taking, she was not taking them as prescribed. I investigated this when her behavior first started to change and show signs of dementia. Why is this important? Is my belief that if my mother had been taking her hypertension drugs as prescribed she would be much healthier today and the onset and development of her Alzheimer's might have been delayed.

Clip Source: www.sciencedaily.com

New research from Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine has found that nearly 50 percent of patients taking antihypertensive drugs in three community health centers were unable to accurately name a single one of their medications listed in their medical chart. That number climbed to 65 percent for patients with low health literacy.

Patients Can't Recall Their Medications To Tell Doctors

Tags: patients can't recall medications tell doctors, alzheimer's,

New study says a seventh of elderly Americans suffer from dementia

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 20:25:51 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray

Clip Source: blogs.usatoday.com

A new study suggests that one out of seven Americans over the age of 70 has dementia.

As they report in the latest issue of Neuroepidemiology, the findings suggest that 3.4 million Americans aged 71 or older suffer from some sort of dementia, including Alzheimer's. This is about 30% higher than earlier estimates.

They found a correlation between increased age and dementia diagnoses. "In a series of logistic models that included age and one additional variable (i.e. education, gender, race, or APOE genotype), older age was consistently associated with an increased risk of dementia,

"What this study and others before it confirm is that there are millions of Americans living with Alzheimer’s and dementia, and that number is estimated to grow at an epidemic rate if we don’t do something about it,” William Thies of the Alzheimer’s Association says in a statement.

Tags: neuroepidemiology, alzheimer's, dementia, elderly

Evercare Unveils Details Of Nation's First Alzheimer's Disease Special Needs Plan In Phoenix

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 20:43:51 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray
clipper's remarks: I am looking forward to learning more about this program. I will investigate when this program might be coming to South Florida.

Clip Source: www.medicalnewstoday.com

Evercare, one of the nation's, and Arizona's, largest health care coordination programs, today unveiled the details of the first-ever Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plan designed exclusively for people with Alzheimer's disease and chronic dementia. Residents of Maricopa County, Ariz. will be the first in the country to have access to this innovative health plan with tailored benefits and services, including special prescription drug coverage and the Alzheimer's Association Safe Return® program. Evercare Care Managers will collaborate with memory disorder specialists from the prestigious Phoenix-based Banner Alzheimer's Institute, with the goal of enhancing Evercare's innovative model of care. <BR><BR>The <I>Evercare® Health Plan for People with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia</I> provides benefits that go beyond traditional Medicare coverage

Tags: alzheimer's, evercare, medicare, health and wellness